I was born deaf in 1982. My blog discusses facts and my life. I plan to get stem cells in the near future and expect a 20-40db improvement in my hearing. That technology for deafness recently became available but I will wait for the pioneers to go ahead first, then I am next.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

My audiologist said if I had only 100db hearing loss, id hear perfectly when aided.

*Above image is the technical data for my hearing aids*

See my audiogram from September 2008. My audiologist said he can't touch a 120+ db hearing loss, but said if I had 20db better hearing, id hear great with those Phonak Naida V UP hearing aids. Ironically, I used to be only 100 to 105 db loss at 1000Hz to 6000Hz straight across, according to my audiogram back in 1998. I was able to hear aided up to 6000Hz as well.

If I still heard as good as I did a decade ago, I would be aided to near normal with my Phonak Naida V UP hearing aids on max gain. Id hear at normal(25db or better) at frequencies under 2000Hz and even at 2000Hz, id hear at 30db aided and at 4000Hz it would still be 40db which would still be in the lower half of the speech banana.

Too bad my old Widex Senso back then gave me only 50db aided at 2000Hz and above and 30db aided at 250 and 500Hz. They were maxed out above 500Hz and they were one of the best digital HAs at the time in 1998. At least I still could hear high frequencies up to 6000Hz. I remember hearing whistles and birds singing. I can't hear either today as I have no hearing above 2000Hz and very little hearing above 1000Hz.

Based on my recent audiogram from a few days ago, id still be aided to normal hearing in the low frequencies up to 500Hz. Id have near normal hearing to 1000Hz that would drop off and stop above 2000Hz. I am having them reprogrammed to hopefully give me 5-10db more gain, change some programs and enable transposition so ill "hear" high frequencies even if they sound more like mid frequencies.

I took an online speech hearing test and scored 72% so I could be up to 90% after getting them reprogrammed. People with normal hearing would be at 100% but I know my loss is too profound above 500Hz for any hearing aid to aid me to 100% or give me 100% speech access. Still it's amazing how advanced HA technology is and how profoundly deaf people can be aided to near normal with the best HAs. Those with severe losses should be aided to normal and with training, have near normal speech comphrension.

I have too much high frequency loss to hear perfectly, but at least id still hear perfectly in the low frequencies, I have only 75db loss at 250Hz and if the gains are maxed out, I could be hearing 10db! That's what hearing people hear!

There are no ear molds,audiologist making the hearing aid lightweight without giving your ear a stuffed feeling. By the push of a button, you can change between 4 memories for a quieter setting, a noisy setting, while using the telephone, and when listening to music. This hearing aid will allow you to hear the sounds you have been missing. miracle ear